It's weird to think it's ONLY day 4 here, though it makes sense when you think about how classes haven't even started yet.
Today I slept in the most, considering I am normally up by 8 here. Probably because we were up late for Paola's birthday! It was really fun. And we made Pisco Sours, which are so so delicious. In the past two days I have eaten wonderful food! For lunch on Friday, I tried Pollo Saltado, which is just fantastic. A few of the guys had Lomo Saltado, so I tried that too. It's pretty much just chicken, rice, french fries, onions, tomatoes, and some seasonings that were totally foreign to me. Too bad I can't bring them back with me! I also had a spinach cream soup before that, which was excellent. At night, we went to Incanto (I think), which I know was expensive, but it was for our welcome dinner for it was paid for. Wow, was that good food. I had a salad of arugula, pecans, pear pieces, red pepper, basil and goat cheese. I had for the main course, something called Aji de Gallina, which was ravioli filled with shredded, seasoned chicken, in a cream sauce with cilantro. It was fantastic, I could seriously eat that every day. For dessert, I had tiramisu, which was GREAT because the coffee here is great. It came out kind of like a parfait, instead of a slice like it sometimes does in the US. Overall, really good eating. I can't wait until my stomach gets tougher, because some of the street vendors have amazing things. I still want to try guinea pig, and I also want to try this shiskabob made of beef heart. Maybe I will get that today.
I bought a sweater yesterday! It's yellow, orange, red, purple, and navy blue stripes with llamas of course. It's so comfy, I love it. I have presents all picked out for everyone, but I have yet to buy them. I want to go to the Sacred Valley and look at the markets there first. We are going next weekend. Today I want to buy some shoes. I found them very cheap. I also keep forgetting to bargain!
I also found out that netflix and hulu cannot be played in Peru. Fuuuuck that.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
An update in categories
Food
I promised myself I would blog everything I ate in Peru, so here is the first day.
It was a slow one, since I hadn't slept yet. After my three hour nap I ate a bit of trail mix, went on a walk to the market, and then came back and ate a cliff bar. We went to the Universidad, which is BEAUTIFUL but deserves its own category, and went on a walk with our host/advisor, Cristian. He bought us an empanada, which was fucking fantastic and I can't wait to get another one. So basically, like a pasty, though the empanada had a much sweeter seasoning to its meat. Then we came back to La Casa de Don Ignancio and while I was skyping my parents in the room, everyone came back with ingredients for tacos, which included: ground beef with chile and garlic, some sort of thin white cheese, avocado, lettuce, and salsa (which wasn't REALLY spicy, but the spiciness it did have lasts forever on your tongue). Then we made bananas foster, which was fun, and actually worked out really well, it was delicious. We used a grainier brown sugar that was hard to melt, but it clung to the bananas much better than a thinner caramel sauce would have. We made it the classic way, so it was flaming in the pan towards the end, it was pretty great. We had it over ice cream, which had an INTENSE vanilla flavor. I mean, it was very, very vanilla, but it had no vanilla bean in it, so it was probably just a lot of extra delicious extract. We also added cinnamon to the bananas by letting a cinnamon stick sit in the melted butter, and also by hand grinding the cinnamon and adding it towards the end.
UCIL
I got a really excellent jacket yesterday, which I am very thankful for because my luggage is still missing, though I know it will arrive today. I know I'm really going to love both of my professors, they seem so knowledgeable and approachable, and all that jazz. I am really excited to start classes, even though I know that means less free time, I can't wait to get out and see the amazing art and discuss its socioeconomic and cultural significance. I think I want to move here. I am also excited to start Spanish, because god knows I need it. THEY HAVE A CULINARY SCHOOL and I almost want to drop everything and come here instead for that.
Housing
My apartment is so awesome! I have a room with double beds but no roommate, so I have my own bathroom and two beds (aka two pillows). Katie shares my apartment with me, and I know that's going to be excellent. Our place is kind of the party apartment, because it is the biggest and we have the biggest kitchen, so that's fun. We have a tv, which I didn't think I'd be using, but it's funny because they have a lot of american channels with spanish subtitles, which honestly helps me with my spanish a lot. I have yet to eat breakfast today, so I'll let you know how that goes. We're in a great neighborhood. This street is nicknamed "Hero Avenue" or something similar, because a lot of police and military men have houses here. Plus the houses are huge and gorgeous. I bet at one time this entire hostel was someone's house.
General
I am starving right now, I need to eat breakfast. I also have a bit of a headache, but I know that will go away, it's only been around for 1/2 an hour, probably from being on the computer. I haven't had a problem with the altitude, but if you're staying in the airport like I did in Lima, I recommend actually trying to sleep as much as possible, it was really awful to get here and be so tired when all I wanted to do was go out and about. We had a tour last night with Cristian, and Gonzolo was right, he really does know everything about everything! I am so glad I came with CIS, this is going to be so fantastic. Everyone here is so friendly and nice! Political elections are happening while I am here, I am so excited! I really want to do whatever is the equivelent of watching the results come in on the TV with a bunch of people at home. Apparently it's a decision between two cancers, so I hope whoever is the lesser cancer pulls through for everyone here. There are lots of dogs here who will follow you if you make eye contact with them. They are all really friendly. But the one who seems to always be outside my window, in front of the elementary school, seems to bark a lot at night, but I don't mind it. I named him Cheif, and he probably most closely resembles a yellow lab. It's been partly cloudy every day, but it's supposed to be sunny every day starting Sunday.
Spiders
One was found (and squashed) in Ty's bathroom. So they exist, but they're squashable, and Katie said she'll squash them for me. I'd rather have a giant black bear in my bathroom than a spider. But I'm going to try and conquer my fears if I see one and squish it myself.
Today I want to look around at some of the shops, and go dancing tonight if I'm feeling up to it. We have a tour with USIL of the city today, and dinner with Cristian tonight too.
I promised myself I would blog everything I ate in Peru, so here is the first day.
It was a slow one, since I hadn't slept yet. After my three hour nap I ate a bit of trail mix, went on a walk to the market, and then came back and ate a cliff bar. We went to the Universidad, which is BEAUTIFUL but deserves its own category, and went on a walk with our host/advisor, Cristian. He bought us an empanada, which was fucking fantastic and I can't wait to get another one. So basically, like a pasty, though the empanada had a much sweeter seasoning to its meat. Then we came back to La Casa de Don Ignancio and while I was skyping my parents in the room, everyone came back with ingredients for tacos, which included: ground beef with chile and garlic, some sort of thin white cheese, avocado, lettuce, and salsa (which wasn't REALLY spicy, but the spiciness it did have lasts forever on your tongue). Then we made bananas foster, which was fun, and actually worked out really well, it was delicious. We used a grainier brown sugar that was hard to melt, but it clung to the bananas much better than a thinner caramel sauce would have. We made it the classic way, so it was flaming in the pan towards the end, it was pretty great. We had it over ice cream, which had an INTENSE vanilla flavor. I mean, it was very, very vanilla, but it had no vanilla bean in it, so it was probably just a lot of extra delicious extract. We also added cinnamon to the bananas by letting a cinnamon stick sit in the melted butter, and also by hand grinding the cinnamon and adding it towards the end.
UCIL
I got a really excellent jacket yesterday, which I am very thankful for because my luggage is still missing, though I know it will arrive today. I know I'm really going to love both of my professors, they seem so knowledgeable and approachable, and all that jazz. I am really excited to start classes, even though I know that means less free time, I can't wait to get out and see the amazing art and discuss its socioeconomic and cultural significance. I think I want to move here. I am also excited to start Spanish, because god knows I need it. THEY HAVE A CULINARY SCHOOL and I almost want to drop everything and come here instead for that.
Housing
My apartment is so awesome! I have a room with double beds but no roommate, so I have my own bathroom and two beds (aka two pillows). Katie shares my apartment with me, and I know that's going to be excellent. Our place is kind of the party apartment, because it is the biggest and we have the biggest kitchen, so that's fun. We have a tv, which I didn't think I'd be using, but it's funny because they have a lot of american channels with spanish subtitles, which honestly helps me with my spanish a lot. I have yet to eat breakfast today, so I'll let you know how that goes. We're in a great neighborhood. This street is nicknamed "Hero Avenue" or something similar, because a lot of police and military men have houses here. Plus the houses are huge and gorgeous. I bet at one time this entire hostel was someone's house.
General
I am starving right now, I need to eat breakfast. I also have a bit of a headache, but I know that will go away, it's only been around for 1/2 an hour, probably from being on the computer. I haven't had a problem with the altitude, but if you're staying in the airport like I did in Lima, I recommend actually trying to sleep as much as possible, it was really awful to get here and be so tired when all I wanted to do was go out and about. We had a tour last night with Cristian, and Gonzolo was right, he really does know everything about everything! I am so glad I came with CIS, this is going to be so fantastic. Everyone here is so friendly and nice! Political elections are happening while I am here, I am so excited! I really want to do whatever is the equivelent of watching the results come in on the TV with a bunch of people at home. Apparently it's a decision between two cancers, so I hope whoever is the lesser cancer pulls through for everyone here. There are lots of dogs here who will follow you if you make eye contact with them. They are all really friendly. But the one who seems to always be outside my window, in front of the elementary school, seems to bark a lot at night, but I don't mind it. I named him Cheif, and he probably most closely resembles a yellow lab. It's been partly cloudy every day, but it's supposed to be sunny every day starting Sunday.
Spiders
One was found (and squashed) in Ty's bathroom. So they exist, but they're squashable, and Katie said she'll squash them for me. I'd rather have a giant black bear in my bathroom than a spider. But I'm going to try and conquer my fears if I see one and squish it myself.
Today I want to look around at some of the shops, and go dancing tonight if I'm feeling up to it. We have a tour with USIL of the city today, and dinner with Cristian tonight too.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Most beautiful flight ever.
Seriously, the flight from Lima to Cusco was the most beautiful flight ever. Really, I am in love. And also completely overwhelmed. I haven't slept in 27 1/2 hours. I can't really think straight.
I am going to bed now, hopefully I will sleep away these nerves.
By the way, I miss everyone.
I am going to bed now, hopefully I will sleep away these nerves.
By the way, I miss everyone.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
As of today...
So today, I woke up sick to my stomach from a) the typhoid pills and b) general anxiety about the trip, especially the possibility of giant spiders.
But I think it just hit me about an hour ago that this is actually happening, and I am going to have a life changing experience, I am getting on a plane in less than a week, etc. I am so excited to be somewhere else. I mean, I don't even think words can express, so this blog seems pointless right now because of that.
I'll explain.
My heart is racing very quickly and I don't know where to start in terms of packing and I want to tell every0ne that I am leaving and living somewhere completely different for almost 2 months. I just want to start my first day so that I can have stories to tell.
Right now, I am really only nervous about getting my luggage there. Otherwise, bring on the spiders. I will crush them.
But I think it just hit me about an hour ago that this is actually happening, and I am going to have a life changing experience, I am getting on a plane in less than a week, etc. I am so excited to be somewhere else. I mean, I don't even think words can express, so this blog seems pointless right now because of that.
I'll explain.
My heart is racing very quickly and I don't know where to start in terms of packing and I want to tell every0ne that I am leaving and living somewhere completely different for almost 2 months. I just want to start my first day so that I can have stories to tell.
Right now, I am really only nervous about getting my luggage there. Otherwise, bring on the spiders. I will crush them.
SERIOUSLY
Do not take Vivotif Berna before bed. You will wake up and feel like you have FULL ON typhoid. And then you will have to go to work at 8 a.m. and you will be so upset.
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